High Winds Topple Tree

In early August, a gum tree 80m high toppled on to two homes in outer eastern Victoria, cutting one of the homes in half. Emergency services said it’s a miracle that nobody was hurt given the damage to the homes. The tree also damaged nearby power lines.

The owner of the home that was cut in half left the lounge room and went to bed just before 11pm, a decision that likely saved his life, as he usually stays in his lounge until later. He was the only person in the home at that time.

His neighbours were also unscathed by the tree falling. They woke up to find that the roof was inside the house.

Emergency services secured the properties and worked to remove the tree the morning after. Building inspectors will soon visit the sites to decide whether the houses can be repaired or need to be torn down. The strong wind and heavy rain of that weekend were at the origin of at least 50 calls to emergency services.